Lotus GT

I don't post much but I thought I would share this as it may be of help to others in the future. Without designing and fabricating a special installation tool I could see no way of attaching the new Mercedes clip (is there a Mercedes tool for this?), so I thought I would make my own. You've got to be able to get under the car for this! It was easy to make and easy to fit once the exhaust and parking brake actuator where removed. I made it from a bit of 1" x 1" angle iron, a 10mm ball stud with M8 thread and an M6 U-bolt:



I shortened the U-bolt threads slightly - they were close (but not touching) the parking brake actuator with the anti roll bar at full droop.

This is the bracket installed on the anti roll bar (sway bar!) - the 10mm ball is in exactly the same place as the original:



I used the new connecting rod from the Mercedes clip. If I were to do it again I would use an M6 threaded ball stud and make it all from stainless.

Hope this might be useful

Pete

BOTUS

I was thinking of doing the same.... nightmare design and bloody dangerous - as they build it as they fail dangerous

in the end used a stainless worm drive hose clip to hold the standard bracket on, after the garage trashed the second new one trying to fit it - only thing is the std one has some cushioning / flex built in its design I guess to send less NVH up the arm

Lotus GT

I used a worm drive clip at first as well but I couldn't bear to look at it - too Heath-Robinson for me!! I might buy another original clip and look at designing/making a tool that fixes it in place - just for the hell of it!. You can't get the clip to fasten with "ordinary" tools even when not on the car - they must have used a specially designed pair of grips to get it to "engage". It's even worse on the car because you're working "blind" - the open end is hidden between the anti roll bar and the petrol tank. The guy that designed it should be made to replace them all on his own time!!

Pete

BOTUS

I figured the "great design" will have seized and snapped off before the clip fails - so left it

I go with the idiot who designed it having to fit all replacements - but I'd hope we can all so ensure none of his genetic material lives on

Matt A

Hi LotusGT - My W221 has just had this happen to me. I was on the M25 and it snapped, next thing I know the backend is almost on the ground.

I have rigged it together with a couple of cable ties, but really like your design.

Where did you get the bracket from, do you have a link to the parts?

Thanks for your help, and good work!

Lotus GT

I made it from a piece of angle iron, an M6 U-bolt and an M10 ball stud. The angle iron I had in the shed and I just ordered the other bits: The U-bolt was from Cromwell - M6x37x29x20 - product code MTL6629510F. The ball stud was from fleabay. If you are going to do the same buy a ball stud with an M6 thread, not M8 - it would give more room to tighten the nut. I cut the U-bolt "legs" down to suit. I didn't make a note of the distance of the ball stud fixing hole from the edge of the angle iron but I'll be under the car again this weekend (replacing front air struts) so I'll see if I can get the measurement; It is the same as the original bracket if you still have any of it left! The bracket locates on the small flat that is already pressed into the anti-roll bar, like the original one did.

Hope this helps.

Matt A

Thanks Lotus GT, that helps greatly.

Shadly1

Nice design! What does the calibration involve? Are you "trial and erroring" the rear ride height by rotating it or are you bolting it in the middle and setting ride height via software?

Lotus GT

Thanks! I had the local indy check the ride height as I don't have the diagnostic gear to do it myself yet - I'm planning on buying a C3 Star machine as I'm hoping to keep the car for a few years yet. The bracket can only fit in one orientation on the anti-roll bar - there is a flat on the bar on which the bracket sits. As it happens the suspension was at the correct height without any changes, even though I'd replaced all the subframe bushes and all the suspension arms (and welded up the petrol tank - MB wanted £3k for a new one .

Shadly1

Lotus GT

Do you think I should have taken the petrol out first?